Rep. Elliott Engen

Maddy summaryHF 3629 updates Minnesota's state grant management rules. It centralizes oversight under the commissioner of administration, requiring standardized policies for all state agencies, a single point of contact for grant issues, and centralized tracking of grant opportunities. The bill also adds privacy protections for individuals reporting grant fraud or waste, and expands termination rules for grant recipients convicted of crimes related to grant agreements - now including key personnel like executives and board members. These changes directly affect all state agencies managing grants and the organizations receiving state grant funds.

Maddy summaryHF 1606 prohibits websites, apps, software, or programs from allowing users to access, download, or use technology that alters images or videos to reveal private body parts (defined as "nudification"). It directly affects platform operators who host such tools and individuals whose images are altered without consent. The bill creates civil lawsuits for victims, allowing them to seek triple damages, punitive penalties, and attorney fees, while imposing $500,000 civil penalties per violation on violators. It becomes effective August 1, 2025, targeting the unauthorized use of image-altering technology that could harm individuals' privacy.

Maddy summaryThis bill amends Minnesota's organized retail theft law to explicitly include gift card fraud as a form of retail theft. It defines "retail merchandise" to cover all gift cards (both physical and digital) and specifies that the "value" of stolen gift cards includes their full face value. Retailers and law enforcement will now have a clearer legal framework for prosecuting gift card fraud under existing organized retail theft statutes. The change takes effect August 1, 2025.

Maddy summaryThis Minnesota bill requires large social media platforms to implement specific protections for children under 18, including restrictions on addictive design features like infinite scrolling, autoplay videos, and personalized feeds. The law applies to platforms that earn at least $1 billion in annual advertising revenue and defines "addictive interface features" in detail, such as push notifications and metrics showing likes or follower counts. Parents of children under 15 must receive clear notifications about their child's online activity, and platforms must provide tools for parents to manage their child's account settings. The bill also establishes enforcement mechanisms and sets up a new chapter in Minnesota statutes to govern these requirements.

Maddy summaryThis bill modifies training requirements for child care providers in Minnesota to better address abusive head trauma prevention. It directly affects directors, staff, substitutes, volunteers, and caregivers working with children under school age in licensed child care programs. The key changes require interactive training sessions of at least 30 minutes that cover shaking risks, prevention methods, and parent communication, rather than passive learning methods like reading or watching videos alone. The bill also establishes a video presentation resource for training and sets an effective date of January 1, 2027, for these new requirements.

Maddy summaryHF 1849 proposes a constitutional amendment to limit Minnesota's governor and lieutenant governor to two terms each. If approved by voters in 2026, the amendment would change the state constitution to state that no person may be elected more than twice to either office. The amendment requires a statewide vote at the 2026 general election with a specific ballot question asking voters to approve term limits beginning in 2030. This change would affect all future governors and lieutenant governors, but would not apply to terms served before 2030.

Maddy summaryHF 1724 establishes legal definitions and regulatory exemptions for direct primary care service agreements in Minnesota. The bill clarifies that these agreements - where patients pay a direct fee for primary care services (like check-ups and chronic disease management) instead of using insurance - are not considered insurance or health plans under Minnesota law. This means primary care providers (such as physicians or nurse practitioners) offering these agreements do not need insurance licenses or comply with insurance regulations (chapters 60A, 62A, 62C, 62D, or 62N). The bill directly affects primary care providers seeking to offer subscription-based care and patients choosing this alternative to traditional insurance.

Maddy summaryMinnesota Senate File 1943 prohibits pet shops (physical retail stores selling animals to the public) from selling or transferring ownership of cats and dogs, effective August 1, 2026. The bill allows pet shops to provide space for nonprofit animal shelters, humane societies, or 501(c)(3) rescue groups to offer animals for adoption, but pet shops cannot own the animals or charge fees for this space. It does not affect breeders, direct sales from breeders, or nonprofit adoption organizations themselves. The law aims to shift pet sales toward adoption-focused organizations while maintaining transparency requirements for pet dealers.

Maddy summaryHF 2627 prohibits pet shops (defined as physical retail stores selling animals to the public) from selling, offering to sell, or transferring ownership of cats or dogs. The bill directly affects retail pet shops operating in Minnesota, requiring them to stop selling these animals by August 1, 2026. However, pet shops may still host nonprofit animal rescues or shelters (501(c)(3) organizations) for adoption events, provided the shops don’t own the animals or charge fees for the space. The law does not restrict breeders, shelters, or adoption centers, only retail pet shops selling cats and dogs directly to customers.

Maddy summaryThis bill temporarily suspends the state motor fuels tax in Minnesota for a specific period in 2026, directly affecting drivers, fuel retailers, and businesses that purchase gasoline and diesel. Under the legislation, the tax rate is set to zero cents per gallon or per thousand cubic feet for all fuel types during the designated timeframe, which begins shortly after the bill is enacted and ends in early September 2026. To offset the lost revenue from this suspension, the state will transfer money from its general fund to the Department of Transportation to cover the costs that would have been collected from fuel taxes. The bill also allocates a one-time appropriation to the Department of Revenue to cover the administrative expenses required to implement this temporary tax pause.